Every Handgun Is Aimed at You: The Case for Banning Handguns

A powerful argument for banning handguns that "should be required reading for those who want to be better informed—whether they are for or against gun control" (Publishers Weekly). Gun-control advocates of every political stripe routinely call for trigger locks, "smart guns," or the licensing of handgun owners and the registration of their weapons. But as Every Handgun Is Aimed at You reveals, none of these measures is likely to have a significant effect in reducing the epidemic levels of gun violence in American society. Josh Sugarmann makes the convincing case that the only way to reduce gun violence is to ban handguns completely. Widely recognized in other industrialized countries, this truth remains largely unspoken in the United States, even as the handgun-related death toll rises. In this must-read book for anyone interested in the gun debates, Sugarmann includes a brief history of the handgun, an analysis of handgun ownership, and a review of the Second Amendment debate. He tackles issues from suicide to self-defense, and discusses the effects of handguns on women, juveniles, minorities, and the general public. Finally, the book includes practical steps any citizen can take to advance the cause of banning handguns. B/W charts and graphs throughout.

Author Biography: Josh Sugarmann is executive director of the Violence Policy Center, a national educational organization working to reduce gun death and injury in America. He is the author of National Rifle Association.